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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · bark · bowl · pit · tube · kick · pound · stock

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. kick — in football
  3. stock — shares
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. tube — a container
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stock — goods
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com